Yang%over%at%Learn%Mandarin%Now%is%spoiling%me%with%all%these%guest%posts.

%Ive%
been%struggling%to%find%something%that%suitable%for%beginners%lately%%everything%I%
stumble%across%ends%up%being%intermediate.%But%this%is%a%very%good%place%for%
beginners%to%start%reading%chngy%(
%idiom)%stories,%because%youll%get%an%
introduction%to%a%few%words%that%you%often%see%in%this%kind%of%long%long%ago,%far%far%
away%fable.%
%
In%the%very%first%sentence,%we%run%across%three%words%of%interest.%One,%
%cngqin,%
means%a%long%time%ago,%your%classic%storybook%beginning.%
The%second,%
%chgurn,%means%a%man%from%the%State%of%Chu.%The%State%of%
Chu%was%a%Chinese%jurisdictional%division%during%the%Zhou%Dynasty%(1046%%256%BC).%
In%stories%that%reference%preX1900%China,%youll%often%see%references%to%places%that%
existed%in%ancient%times.%Encyclopedia%Britannicatells%us:%China%itself%was%at%the%time%
divided%into%a%series%of%small%duke%states,%all%of%which%theoretically%owed%allegiance%
to%the%Zhou%dynasty,%although%the%Zhou%rulers%had%long%since%been%unable%to%
exercise%control%over%more%than%their%own%fiefs.%Anyhoo,%the%third%word%is%
%bojin,%which%means%a%doubleXedged%sword.%How%fableXy%is%that,%huh?%
Id%also%like%to%draw%your%attention%to%the%word%
%ydng,%meaning%to%be%moving%
or%mobile.%This%word%is%quite%common%%its%used%to%refer%to%people%who%move%often,%
and%also%to%mobile%phones%(the%cell%provider%China%Mobile%has%this%in%their%
Chinese%name:%
).%
%
Okay,%lets%do%this.%And%thanks%again%to%Yang!%Lots%of%work%for%some%paltry%backlinks.%
%

ClicktoListen
%%cng%qin%%A%long%time%ago
%%i%x%%Cherish
%%y%b%xio%xn%%Accidentally%
%%j%ho%%Notch,%notation%made%to%remember%something%

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Long%ago,%there%was%a%man%from%the%State%of%Chu%who%loved%his%sword%very%much.%
One%day,%he%was%sitting%in%his%boat%preparing%to%cross%a%river,%when%he%accidentally%
dropped%his%sword%into%the%water.%He%immediately%made%a%notch%on%the%side%of%the%
boat%at%the%place%where%his%dear%sword%fell.%When%he%returned%close%to%shore,%he%reX
entered%the%water%just%beneath%the%notch%he%made,%looking%for%his%sword.%Naturally,%
he%wasnt%able%to%find%it.
The%sword%was%already%gone%because%the%boat%and%the%river%were%in%motion.%This%
idiom%is%used%to%describe%a%person%who%sticks%to%rigid%rules%without%considering%a%
changing%environment%[or%describes%an%action%made%pointless%by%changing%
circumstances].%
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I%love%it%when%I%find%a%longer%story%thats%suitable%for%beginning%readers.%This%one,%
which%is%either%a%tale%that%reminds%us%what%happens%when%you%try%to%be%something%
youre%not,%or%a%tale%that%reminds%us%that%men%should%never%be%allowed%to%give%each%
other%fashion%advice,%definitely%fits%the%bill.%
%
The%first%sentence%isnt%super%simple,%so%push%through%that%one%if%you%can,%it%gets%
much%easier%in%the%following%paragraphs.%Four%points%of%grammar:%
%nng%yu%xng%qng%%A%politely%formal%phrase%of%invitation%May%have%the%
pleasure%of%inviting%you%%or%more%specifically,%May%I%be%so%lucky%as%to%(have%
this%dance?)%(take%you%on%a%date?).%
%
%kn%shng%q%%To%look%like.%
%
%n%yo%sh%zi%b%zu%ki%%This%one%might%be%a%little%confusing.%Lets%
break%it%down:%
%
%%You
%%If
%%Otherwise%/%If%not
%%Go%away%
%
The%full%phrase%means%If%you%dont%go%away.%
%t%hu%li%shu%shi%n%de.%In%the%story,%Miss%Pig%says%this%to%an%
unwelcome%guest.%The% %in%this%case%is%Mr.%Pig.%The%Beginners%often%learn%the%
word%
,%meaning%to%tidy%up.%Usually,%this%means%exactly%what%it%sounds%like,%
and%applies%to%cleaning%up%a%room%or%an%apartment.%In%this%case,%its%being%used%in%
kind%of%an%action%movie%way,%meaning%Hell%come%over%and%deal%with%you!%or%Hell%
comestraighten%you%out!.%So%Miss%Pig%is%threatening%the%unwelcome%guest,%telling%
him%that%Mr.%Pig%will%come%over%and%beat%him%up.%
The%Chinese%title%is%
%
%

ClicktoListen
%%y%cn%%Picnic
%%q%di%%To%look%forward%to
%%d%dng%%To%move%someone(emotionally)
%%y%do%%To%run%into
%%ji%%Lend,%borrow%
%%ji%zhe%%Continuing%on
%%wi%mng%%Bold%and%powerful

%%yng%jn%%Handsome
%%j%dng%%Excite,%agitate
%%yo%gui%%Monster,%devil
%%chu%b%gui%%Ugly%person%
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Today,%its%a%great%day%for%a%picnic.%Mr.%Pig%dressed%himself%with%care,%looking%forward%
to%[the%possibility%of]%Miss%Pig%and%himself%going%on%a%picnic%together.
Heh,%I%hope%she%says%Yes%[lit:%I'm%willing].%Hm,%Ill%also%pick%some%flowers%to%give%
her,%that%will%certainly%be%enough%to%sway%her!%
On%the%road,%Mr.%Pig%ran%into%his%friend%Fox.%When%fox%heard%about%the%picnic,%he%
said:%Let%me%give%you%a%suggestion,%let%me%lend%you%my%beautiful%tail.%See,%you%look%
so%clever,%Miss%Pig%will%certainly%like%it.%Mr.%Pig%was%very%pleased.%
Continuing%on,%he%ran%into%his%friend%Lion.%Lion%heard%about%the%picnic%and%said:%Let%
me%give%you%a%suggestion,%borrow%my%beautiful%hair%for%when%you%go%over%there.%See,%
you%look%so%powerful,%Miss%Pig%will%certainly%like%it.%Mr.%Pig%was%very%pleased.%
After%a%while,%he%ran%into%his%friend%Zebra.%Zebra%heard%about%the%picnic%and%said:%
Let%me%give%you%a%suggestion,%Ill%lend%you%my%beautiful%stripes.%See,%you%look%so%
handsome.%Miss%Pig%will%certainly%like%it.%Mr.%Pig%was%very%pleased.%He%felt%that%hed%
never%before%looked%so%handsome.%
Finally%arriving%at%Miss%Pigs%house,%Mr.%Pig%excitedly%knocked%on%the%door.%Would%
you%do%me%the%honor%of%going%on%a%picnic%with%me?%he%asked.%
Miss%Pig%was%terrified:%Oh,%no%way!%What%kind%of%monster%are%you?%If%you%dont%go%
away,%Ill%go%get%Mr.%Pig,%hell%straighten%you%out!%
Mr.%Pig%hurriedly%ran%away.%On%the%road,%he%gave%the%stripes%back%to%Zebra,%the%hair%
back%to%Lion,%and%the%tail%back%to%Fox.%AFter%that,%he%hurried%back%to%Miss%Pigs%
house,%and%again%pressed%the%doorbell.%
Would%you%do%me%the%honor%of%having%a%picnic%with%me?%he%asked%again.%
Goodness,%Mr.%Pig!%Miss%Pig%cried%out.%Im%so%happy%to%see%you,%Id%love%to%go%on%a%
picnic%with%you.%An%ugly%wretch%just%came%by%here,%standing%in%my%garden,%and%
scared%me%so.%
On%the%way,%Miss%Pig%told%Mr.%Pig%the%story%of%the%ugly%wretch%in%great%detail.%Her%
handsome%friend%Mr.%Pig,%though,%listened%with%great%sympathy.%It%really%was%a%great%
day%for%a%picnic.%
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